Fútbol vs. football: NFL and soccer compete for Latino fans

Fútbol has long been the most popular sport among Latinos. But recent research shows that may be starting to change for Latinos living in the United States, as more of them are becoming aficionados of football and the NFL.

Last year’s Super Bowl showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers ranks as the most-viewed television show on record among Latinos in the U.S., reaching a total audience of 17.7 million Latino viewers.

What’s perhaps more surprising is the fact that the past five Super Bowl games rank as the top five most-viewed television shows among Latinos in the U.S, according to demographic data from the Nielson Company. Coming in at sixth and eight places were two World Cup soccer games.

Millions of Latinos are expected to tune in to see the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos during this year’s Super Bowl, which will take place in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium this Sunday.

NFL and fútbol compete for Latino viewership in the U.S.

A report by the Nielsen Company finds that while soccer has long been the “king of sports” among Latinos, many Latinos living in the U.S. are “warming to American football and the NFL.”

But as the report points out, “not all Hispanics are the same and savvy marketers need to know the difference.”

The report shows that Latinos who mostly or only speak English are the ones who view NFL football games the most. Meanwhile, bilingual and Spanish speaking Latinos overwhelmingly prefer watching the Mexican national soccer team compete.

However, the preference for soccer or football depends on more than just the language Latinos speak. According to the report, Latinos of Mexican and Caribbean descent are more likely to watch the NFL. Meanwhile, South and Central American and Mexican Latinos prefer watching soccer games.

So has the NFL edged out fútbol among Latinos living in the U.S.? The answer, according to the Nielsen report, is “no.”

“While the NFL has certainly made in-roads, and is actually more popular in small segments, soccer still dominates,” the report concludes. “Both football and soccer matter to American Hispanics, and those that watch them, prefer fútbol in Spanish.”

How the NFL is growing its Latino fan base

However, there’s no doubt that the NFL has been successful in courting English-speaking Latinos over the last few years. A poll conducted by ESPN Sports in 2012 found that 25 million Latinos in the U.S. identify themselves as NFL fans.

Efforts to court Latinos began in 2002, when former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue launched an internal task force to research the Latino fan base, according to Forbes. Three years later, the NFL held a game in Mexico City, which attracted about 103,500 fans. And last year, the NFL celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the NFL’s Latino football players and by hosting a series of events.

Now, the NFL is taking steps to attract more Spanish-speaking and bilingual Latinos. One major step is broadcasting this year’s Super Bowl in Spanish, making it the first time this is done. Fox Deportes, formerly known as Fox Sports en Español, will be airing the game on Sunday.

Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s vice president of fan strategy and marketing, told Forbes the biggest reason why the NFL has seen a growth in its Latino fan base is due to the media access the NFL gives to Latino fans.

“We have spent a lot of time really working with and asking Hispanic fans how they want to consume the NFL,” O’Reilly said. “For us, it is about making sure that we are delivering the game in customized and unique ways to serve the Hispanic population’s needs.”

This article was originally published in Voxxi.

Griselda, a native of Mexico, has a journalism degree from Arizona State University. Previously, she was sponsored by the Scripps Howard Foundation to intern with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. She has contributed to various news outlets across the country.